Collapsible firebox



May 10, 1949; 5, P. MOLLA GOLLAPS IBLE FIREBOX Filed Jan. 20, 1945 INVENTOR. UHA/PLES P/V/ULLA BY Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE FIREBOX Charles P. Molla, New Hyde Park, N. Y. Application January 20, 1945, Serial No. 573,790

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to barbecue devices or the fire-boxes of devices of this kind. More particularly, the invention deals with collapsible fire-box units whereby the complete fire-box may be packed in a substantially flat comparatively thin package in shipment and when not in use, thus adapting the fire-box to barbecue devices of knockdown or collapsible construction so that the entire device may be packed or stored in a small space. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a fire box in folded or collapsed condition; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating the fire-box in a set-up condition.

In barbecue devices of the kind under consideration, it has been customary to construct the fire-box of a solid or integral wall construction, thus presenting a large bulky and difficult to pack and store structure, which has been objectionable not only from the handling and use standpoint, but also from the standpoint of manufacture and shipment. In illustrating one adaptation of my invention, I have shown what might be termed a hopper-shaped fire-box, as generally seen at Ill in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This box is composed of comparatively thin sheet metal parts, and for this reason, the illustration is diagrammatic in the sense that the thickness of the sheet metal is not shown.

The box i is formed from two substantially similar side parts II and Ila, and two substantially similar and smaller end parts l2 and I211. The parts I l and I la have lower edges l3 and the parts l2 and |2a lower edges Hi, all of which are considerably shorter than the upper edge portions l5 and I6 respectively of said parts to form a comparatively small rectangular opening I! at the bottom of the fire-box and a considerably larger opening at the top thereof defined by the edge portions I5 and I6. In other words, the side edges 3 of the parts II and H a and the side edges I9 of the parts l2 and lZa are tapered upwardly, thus producing of all of the assembled parts the hopper shaped formation of the firebox.

Adjacent edge portions l8 and IQ of the respective parts of the fire-box have alined apertures 20 adapted to receive coupling rings 2| for hingedly coupling adjacent edges in a sufliciently loose mounting to provide collapsing of the several parts one upon the other in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. For example, with the part l2 resting upon the inner surface of the part H and the part Ha resting upon the inner surface of the part l2a, it being understood that portions of the parts H and Ila overlap each other, as will be apparent. Each of the parts H--l la and |2l2a include in the body portion thereof draft apertures 22 to encourage a draft upwardly through the walls of the firebox to encourage better combustion.

While the assembled or extended fire-box may be mounted in any desired manner in connection with a frame of the barbecue device, not shown, one method of providing a quick and readily detachable mounting is in the inclusion of supporting flanges at the upper edges of the various wall parts of the fire-box. For example, the flanges 23 on the wall parts ll-lla and the flanges 24 on the wall parts I 2|2a. These flanges may simply rest upon a frame bordering the periphery of the upper portion of the firebox, as will be readily apparent.

With smaller types of fire-boxes, the opening H in the bottom of the fire-box will be sufficiently small to prevent the dropping through of any large particle of the fuel employed. However, when larger fire-box units are desired, a supplemental open wall part or grate may be placed in the lower portion of the fire-box as in the common use of grates in fire-boxes of any apparatus or fire-places of various kinds and classes.

It will be understood that the hinge connection between the wall parts of the fire-box through the medium of the rings engaging the alined apertures, facilitates shifting movement of adjacent wall parts one with respect to the other longitudinally of the edge portions thereof in moving the wall parts into collapsed position. This particular hinge construction also provides small passages between adjacent edges of the wall parts which further stimulates the draft through the fire-box, as will be apparent.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible fire box comprising a pair of similar opposed wall plates, having side edge portions converging from the upper edge to the lower edge thereof, another opposed pair of sim ilar but smaller wall plates having side edge portions converging from the upper edge to the lower edge thereof, side edge portions of both pairs of plates having alined apertures inwardly of and adjacent upper and lower edges, rings mounted in alined apertures of adjacent plates in providing a free hinge coupling between said plates, said hinge coupling producing of the assembled plates a substantially hoppershaped fire box body wherein the wall plates are adapted for movement into collapsed position with one wall plate of each pair disposed upon an adjoining wall plate of each pair, the upper edge portion of at least one pair of Wall plates having outwardly extending supporting flanges, said wall plates having small draught apertures centrally thereof, and other draught apertures 15 Number formed between side edges of adjacent plates.

CHARLES P. MOLLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 76,70? Brown Apr. 14, 1868 479,652 Marcee July 26, 1892 696,243 Johnston Mar. 25, 1902 839,307 Mitchell Dec. 25, 1906 1,238,142 Hitchcock Aug. 28, 1917 1,507,959 Hayworth Sept. 9, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date 23,041 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1914 

